Tiny Tales, Big Hearts

Orphaned Beaver Kits Adopted By Foster Families

Baby Season is in full swing! Our nurseries are full of orphaned Cottontails, Squirrels, Baby Birds, Ducklings, Goslings, Raccoons, Opossums, and Owlets. But, we had a couple of unique admissions this month as well. 

It is uncommon for baby beavers to be admitted to rehabilitation facilities as orphans. The last time we had to raise one this little was in 2015. Juvenile and adult beavers are frequently admitted for injuries or they arrive due to displacement from development, however, receiving two babies over one weekend is highly unusual. Both beavers were discovered alone in wooded areas in different cities. The first one was not more than 2 weeks old, and the second one was about 6 weeks old.

North American Beavers are the second largest living rodents, and they are considered a keystone species due to their ability to create habitats that are critical to many other species. Beaver family can have up to ten members and the young will stay with the parents for the first two years. This means that unlike many of our orphaned patients that can be released after a few weeks or months in our care, baby beavers must stay with us for two years!

The last time we raised a baby orphaned beaver; we had an adult in care as well and that adult was able to bond with the baby and we released them together as a family unit. When these two arrived, we notified WDFW and fortunately, we were able to work with their biologist to find a perfect solution! Foster families were quickly located for both kits and we are happy to report that both introductions were successful, and these two beavers have a second chance at a wild life! 

UPROOTED: Baby Crows Rescued When Tree Removed 

A giant sequoia tree was removed last week in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood. The tree was over 100 feet tall and housed a family of crows. The baby crows were found in their nest and safely removed. Crows, like beavers, are known to be attentive parents, and young crows of this age are rarely admitted for care. Typically, young birds are not seen until they begin to fledge and may become injured in the process, or one gets accidentally knocked out as they start to grow. These four birds are currently in our nursery, housed in an incubator, and receiving feedings every thirty minutes. As additional crows arrive, they will be grouped together to form cohorts, allowing them to be released as a new family group later this summer.

BABY BOOM

TOP IMAGE: Two orphaned Great Horned Owlets are growing and eating LOTS of mice each day. BOTTOM LEFT: These tiny Virginia Opossums are tube fed formula and move to larger enclosures as they grow to learn the skills necessary to survive in the wild. BOTTOM RIGHT: An Anna's Hummingbird that was found as a baby on a school playground, was finally big enough to be released. Here she is just as she flies from the transport crate at release... fly free and wild! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in GIVE BIG Washington and helped us raise funds for the care and feeding of all our patients. We depend on public support and your donations make our work possible.